Cross Letters
by MaximumAlchemist
Summary: "My name? Names are your identity, your being, your lifeline of existence."
1. Meeting

**NEW FANFIC!**

**Now, this is NOT Fullmetal Alchemist. Instead, it's Death Note!**

**I didn't like the way that L had to die; it was disappointing. So, I'm writing Death Note my own way (oh my gosh, I sound like Light Yagami). **

**Anyways, L fangirl here. **

**And this first time I'm not using first-person POV, so bear with me if you see anything related to first-person. Sorry!**

**ON WITH THE STORY! **

L crouched on the chair, licking his thumb.

_Hmm…so Kiras's killed another thirteen people today…these being the criminals in prison AB-57. Also noting the times of death…victim number one, Akisho Yaramui…died of a heart attack at exactly twelve thirty…and the second victim from the exact same prison died precisely forty seconds later. This proves that Kira can control the time of deaths…I wonder what else he could do…?_

He stared motionlessly at the screen, eyes focused and unblinking. The gears in his mind were turning, grinding and spinning quicker than ever, processing thoughts faster than the speed of sound.

He shifted his feet impatiently, scanning the page.

"Ryuzaki, you ought to take a break once in a while, you know," Watari called from across the room.

"Mmmm…no thanks," he said, dropping a sugar cube into his coffee. The crystal box plopped into the drink, spill droplets of the bittersweet liquid.

"No, Ryuzaki. You can't go on like this. Go on, take a break. Your sleep deprivation will affect your thinking, and then it'll take even longer to catch Kira," Watari insisted, crossing the room. He placed a reassuring hand on L's shoulder.

L swiveled around on his chair and stared at Watari, unblinking. Judging by his manager's facial expression, he assumed that the intensity of his stare was pretty good.

A bead of sweat dripped from Watari's forehead. "O-of course, Ryuzaki, you don't have to if you don't want to," he said.

They had an intense staring contest for quite a while—piercing dark orbs versus worn blue optics.

"You're absolutely right. I will go out and take a walk for a while," the super detective said.

He stood and walked swiftly past his gaping handler.

"W-wait, Ryuzaki! Are you sure? Your identity and everything…" Watari trailed off, unable to finish.

L pulled on a hoodie, then gave a crooked grin.

"I'll manage. People won't suspect a thing that I'm really L," he said.

Then he turned the knob of the door and exited.

Line bReak

The everyday-crowded streets of Japan were equally as bustling during nighttime as during daytime. Everywhere L turned, there was a person. Not a single space was unoccupied.

He pulled the hood tight over his head. Nobody would know.

His eyes swept across the crowd of people, some scurrying in panic, some calmly strolling around, some rushing in hurry for late-night shifts or who-knows-what.

"_Another criminal dead, again with a heart attack," _the news reporter was saying on the screen above on a building.

He gritted his teeth. _What was I doing out here? I have work to do!_

_Oh yeah. I needed to chill. That's why, _he reminded himself. _Maybe I'll go buy more sweets. Or maybe eat an ice cream cone. _

He waited for the light to give signal, and crossed the street when it winked green, indicating that it was OK to go.

"_Police are now frantically trying to locate…" _the broadcast faded away as he walked further, unsure of where he was and where he was going.

_These killings…they must be the work of Kira. We now know that he can determine the times of the victims' death…but how? _

He was so absorbed in the question, that he didn't notice that he'd bumped into someone.

"Oof!"

Something fell with a slight _thud_, and he continued wandering; only tripping over a body. He fell towards the pavement, onto a body. L spread his hands apart slowly to soften the impact as time around him seemed to slow drastically.

In a second, he was inches away from a face, trapped underneath him.

They didn't move—just laid there with hundreds of onlookers.

"Ano…"

L jumped up, waving his hands frantically in front of his crimson face.

"Uh…sorry! I d-didn't mean that! S-sorry!" he stammered.

He offered his hand out apologetically to help her up, and she took it.

"Thanks," she said quietly.

She stood and brushed her jeans off and smiled, not the 'modern-day-creepy-lesbian' smile, but the 'I'm-thanking-you-like-a-regular-human-being' smile. Which was good.

They stood for a while, L rocking back and forth awkwardly on his heels.

"So…um…erm…well…yeah…" the girl said, making a brave stab at a conversation. Her face was turned, and she had pulled the hoodie on.

L scratched the back of his head shyly. It wasn't like he was the most social person. In fact, who was the person that hid his identity for like, some number years or so? (If anyone can answer that correctly, you get a cookie. And a free Death Note.*)

"So…what brings you out here tonight?" she asked.

He just shrugged. "Eh. Well, took a midnight stroll. Break from work," he said.

The girl nodded. "So…what do you work as?"

L shrugged again. "Well, I'm from the police force," he somewhat-lied, "working on the Kira case."

She seemed surprised, then recovered. "Well, I sure hope you guys succeed. In my opinion, he's a cold-blooded killer. I mean, these criminals…they deserve to be punished…but not die…"

She looked around cautiously. "And besides…whatever he's using to kill…I think I've got a pretty good idea of what it is."

This caught L's attention by the neck.

"What do you mean?" he muttered under his breath.

The girl motioned for him to follow her. They found an empty park, and she patted a wooden bench.

They sat, and she pulled her hoodie even tighter over her head.

"Well…I've done some research of my own…and it seems that he's been using some sort of weapon," she whispered.

"Well, of course he—"

She held up her hand for him to stop. "Just listen. This weapon…it possesses the ability to kill from a distance. Sort of like a crossbow—fast and deadly. You don't even notice it being fired. What's more, Kira can determine what time the death occurs. So, it's like a time bomb," she said.

L considered this. She was certainly right…he'd hadn't given a thought about what he was using to kill. But still…

"So what you mean is by this theory is that…if we know what the weapon is, then we could find Kira," he guessed.

"Exactly. Face it. How many people do you see killing off criminals at the exact same time and so many people don't have evidence? How many people have this ability?"

"Not much. I can see your point. Very true."

She looked past his shoulder, then glanced back at him.

"What? Is there someone behind me?" L looked behind him, but saw no one.

"N-nothing. Just…checking," she covered, but he got the strange suspicion that she wasn't telling the truth.

"So…the case has a new lead," he said, trying to change the subject.

"Yeah. Wish you guys luck." She slid off the bench and headed off on the other direction, but L made a spilt-second decision and grabbed her wrist.

"Say…do you think…could you come to work with us on this case? We could use your theories," he offered, not knowing what he was saying.

Just then, a strong breeze blew by, blowing both hoodies off of the owner's heads, revealing their equally messy black hair, while shadowy dark eyes met electric blue orbs.

"M-me? Help you guys? Seriously?" she asked in a voice no higher than a hysterical whisper.

He nodded, dimly aware of what he was doing. "Yeah. Want to? I mean you don't have—"

He was caught off guard as he was tackled into a bear hug. His eyes widened slightly when she threw her arms around him.

"Of course! I'll do everything I can!" she said.

Just by looking down at her sparking eyes, L could already tell that she was an honest, loyal, good-to-go detective, right from the bottom of her heart and soul. There was a warm feeling in his chest.

"Right. So…you can come meet me here…" he took out a business card and handed it to her. "Meet me here at eight o'clock AM."

She nodded, then turned again, but L stopped her again.

"But before you go…I have one more request."

She looked back. "What is it?"

"What is your…name?"

She seemed to ponder about how to answer this. Finally, she said, "My name? Names are your identity, your being, your lifeline of existence." She gave a small smile.

"You can just call me R."

-_Death Note_-

***Just kidding. **

**R&R! **

**L: Yes…please review…or else we'll arrest you…Kira. **

**Yes, he was kidding about that…wait no, he says he's not. **

**Oh well. Just review. For your safety. **


	2. Accept Me In

**Oh man. My baaaaaaack~ **

**Anyways, hi! I'm tired and my back is sore (from carrying a backpack that only weighs about a hundred pounds). Maybe I'll sit like L. **

**L: Are you copying my style?**

**Me: Uh, no. I need back relief. **

**L: Like this? –kicks me smack-dab on the spine—**

**Me: HOLY MOTHER OF ALL FIDDLESTICKS YOU SON OF AN EASTER BASKET GOD HOOVER DAM YOU! LIKE HECK THAT HURT! **

**L: Oh, did it? **

_**The following scene has been censored due to inappropriate intercourse, heavy metal music, topped with language so colorful that even the author herself, Her Fanficness, is at loss for words. Have a nice day! **_

**ON WITH THE SWEAR—I MEAN, STORY! GAH! **

L stumbled back into the HQ in a trance. Had he just asked a complete stranger in to _work _with him? What the hell was he thinking? And her name…R?

"Ryuzaki? What's wrong?" Light Yagami asked while crossing the room, Misa clinging to his arm endearingly.

Light placed a worried hand on his shoulder, but L didn't even notice as he trudged down to his unused room.

He opened the door and locked it behind him. He flopped down onto the bed, the mattress bouncing slightly.

_What is wrong with me? S-snap out of it! __L__! _He argued with his mind and heart, but they wouldn't give up. He tried to compromise with them, telling them that he'd think about the piece of information she'd gave to him. They refused, which was _really _unusual. Under normal circumstances, his brain would relent and allow that, but this didn't seem…normal.

Was it…love?

_No. It's just a mutual feeling of friendship. Nothing more. Yet, why is my pulse beating so fast? _

He reached up and grabbed at nothing in particular. He watched his fist clench tightly into a ball, representing who-knows-what-he's-feelings-are-right-now.

He sighed and closed his eyes for like, the first time in his life and tried to focus on what was outside of the closed door of his bedroom, what led to outside.

"_I dunno, he was acting kinda weird."_

"_Just went straight to his room."_

"_When was the last time I saw him do THAT?" _

"_Wouldn't talk to me…is he okay?"_

"_What happened?"_

Confusion was swarming in the main room. Several times, Watari knocked on L's door, and each time, the response was the same: nothing.

Not wanting to hear any more of this nonsense, L crawled under his sheets. Not long, he dozed off into dreamland for the first time in a long, long time.

Line bReak

_Thump, thump, thump._

L stirred, turning his head to face the other way.

_Thump, thump, thump._

"Coming…"

"AAAH! HOLY CRAP! HOW DID YOU GET IN?! IS THE SECURITY BROKEN?!"

It was Matsuda.

"Eto…gomen, gomen! Did I come to the wrong place? Wrong time?"

L's heart skipped a beat. It was _her._ She actually came! (Note to L: If you invited anyone over, I'm pretty sure they'd come. Especially if they're a girl.)

"Ryuzaki! RYUZAKI!" a panicked voice flew down the hall, becoming louder as it approached.

"Open up!"

L scrambled out of bed and came face-to-face with a brown-haired boy, his usually sleek hair a wild mess. Misa poked her head out her room, her face without makeup for once.

Everyone was running around the commons, screaming in their pj's.

"Hide the data! Hide the computer! Hide the information! Don't let anything leak out!" Soichiro commanded.

"Misa Misa! You have a phone call!" Matsuda yelled, dashing up the stairs, two at a time.

"Not now! NO! DON'T COME IN! I DON'T HAVE MAKEUP ON!" Misa shrieked, slamming the door shut.

"But it's urgent!" Matsuda cried.

Everywhere was chaos. Just one visitor shows up, and everyone blows up. Great.

L held his head between his hands. "EVERYONE, SHUT UP!" he yelled.

Time hung frozen over them. No one moved a muscle as L stared at the ground, weaving the possibilities and the classical what-to-do-when-some-stranger-comes-to-your-hideout plan. He could:

A) Tell her to get out, but that will, without a doubt, hurt her feelings, no questions asked.

B) Invite her in and watch the world go into paranoia when she tells everyone what she's found out about Kira.

C) Lock her in and never let her leave.

D) Kill her on the spot.

None of those options seemed good. But he didn't have much of a choice, did he? Nooo.

"Look, I'm sorry, everyone. But this isn't the time to freak out. Let's welcome out guest, will you?" He forced a strained smile out.

Matsuda inched forward and whispered into his ear. "Welcome her? L, are you crazy?"

Out from the corner of his mouth, he growled, "_Play along with it. Then we'll decide what to do with her." _

A pang of regret shot through his chest when he said that. He didn't want to treat her like a thing. She'd been honest and proved to be dedicated when she showed up here. Heck, it was still seven thirty-six.

Matsuda swallowed. "O-okay. Act natural. And don't give out any information."

He sauntered up to the girl in a shaky good-natured way. "How're you doin', ma'am? Fine day today, isn't it?" he said in a trembling voice, wringing his hands together.

L resisted the urge to roll his eyes. _This is totally going to work—NOT! _

The girl nodded carefully, tugging her hoodie over her head.

"And what brings you here todaaaaay?"

_Stupid Matsuda! That IDIOT! _

"Well…um, I'm looking for someone…"

"And who might that be, miss?"

L was about to explode. This _idiot _here was going to blow the plan, and reveal the world their secrets of Kira.

Fortunately, Soichiro stepped in and marched up to Matsuda.

_Slap._

The sound of flesh hitting flesh echoed around the room before it was swallowed by the silence.

What passed by seemed like an eternity of tension before:

"OW! WHAT THE HELL, CHIEF?!" Matsuda yelled, clutching his cheek, which now sported the bright red imprint of his boss's hands.

"Matsuda! Stop this instant!" Soichiro commanded angrily.

Matsuda was stunned, but then his entire world flipped from _the World's Idiot _to _the World's Enraged Idiot_.

"What do you mean, chief? I'm doing what L—"

Silence consumed them again.

"Uh, I mean, Ryuzaki! I was doing what Ryuzaki wanted me to do!" he cried, waving his hands frantically, but the damage was done. L's real identity was revealed to a total stranger.

Time slipped by quietly without anyone's noticing as everyone stared at a crimson Matsuda.

"L…?"

Everyone's heads swiveled around towards the door. She'd been so quiet that L totally forgot that she was there.

"L…?" she said again.

Everyone's eyes shifted towards one another, darting around nervously.

It was Light that decided to break the ice first. "Uh, no, I mean, yes, that's L, but don't go around, I mean keep it a secret, you've got—ARGH!"

He threw his hands up in frustration.

Everyone looked down at the ground, thinking the exact same thing: _The cat's really out the bag now. _

Then it came: a soft, tinkling sound from the door, the sound of laughter.

Everyone looked at the girl shaking with mirth, wondering what the heck on earth was so funny.

Her mouth was curved upwards into a big smile as she laughed joyously, showing her bands of white teeth, her two upper canines sharpened.

L found himself captivated by her smile.

"Um…what's so funny, may I ask?" Matsuda timidly asked.

"Ah, sorry…it's the name. It's so similar!" she said, fighting her fit of giggles back down into her throat.

He looked at L in confusion, whose brain was still on blink.

"Um…L…anyone home?" Light asked while knocking on the raven-haired man's head gently.

"Uh…wha?"

Light waved his hands in front of L's face. "Hello? Welcome to world."

L snapped out of his trance. "Um, sorry…fell asleep there."

"With your eyes open? Dude, what's wrong?"

"Nothing at all…"

Light looked at L worriedly. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah…"

Light stared at him for a little more, then turned his attention back towards the girl.

"So, you're looking for someone?"

The girl had her serious expression planted back on her face, much to L's disappointment.

'Does that have to be answered?' seemed to be everyone's answer.

Not anymore. They already know who she's looking for.

The girl stepped in, and nobody stopped her this time. Her footsteps echoed off the steel floorboards.

"Kira. The cold-blooded murderer of criminals around the globe," she said, pacing around the commons room. "Sixty-three deaths over the past week, two hundred and seventy-four in total. No evidence of fingerprints, no tracks. No eyewitnesses, out of the million people inhabiting the entire Japan, much less the world. Kills in a specific pattern, as proved in the dates. Most seem to be in between forty second gaps. Any questions so far?"

Everyone shook their heads.

She continued pacing around the room. "But how? He does it in broad daylight, he does it during nighttime. How come nobody's ever noticed? What weapon? How does he use it?" She formed a play gun with her fingers and aimed it towards the wall. "Is it a gun? A blade? There has been no evidence of blood."

She put her hands down, then reached into her back pocket and drew a short silver knife with a wickedly sharp blade.

Everyone drew their breaths.

"The truth is, the thing you're working with is too broad. You need to narrow it down. I told L this before, but the weapon that Kira uses is very rare. He might've bought it in a black market, but I don't think so. No weapon has the ability to kill from a distance while determining the exact death time. I don't think it should be handled carelessly, so even if we get our hands on it, it will be risking our lives. I think it would be pretty well guarded."

She stood over the table full of paperwork on the Kira case. The knife gleamed in the lights above.

She raised the knife, without hesitation, slit her own palm.

Droplets of blood splattered among the files, blurring several lines of the words.

She waited until a fair amount of the red fluid had dripped out, then dropped the dagger into the table. The blade impaled into the wood, cutting several bloodstained sheets in the process.

"I offer my blood and life in exchange to work on this case. Will you accept it?" she asked, her eyes ablaze and serious.

Everyone stared at her.

"Accept? What do you mean, 'accept'?" Soichiro asked.

"Will you allow me to work with you?"

Silence rang in the air loudly.

"Well—of course, it would be complicated, but—"

"She will be working with us," L cut in.

"But Ryuzaki—"

"She will be part of the Kira case. It is her choice, and I will not refuse it. Welcome to the work force, R."


End file.
